| By :
Mark Etinger
Thinking about renting a car? Whether you're planning to experience the New England foliage, visit family, or drive across the country, renting a car can be a great alternative to adding extra miles to your current vehicle. To learn the ins and outs of car and van rentals, consider the information below. 1. Age: You have to be 25 or older in the U.S. to rent a car. This is largely because young adults under the age of 25 are bad drivers. They don't have the experience necessary while driving to ensure that they will return a car safely. Moreover, the decision making parts of your brain do not fully develop until about the age of 25 anyway. 2. Compare: It's a good idea to compare the costs of different car rentals. It might make more financial sense to hitch a ride to slightly further rental center if it's going to save you a significant amount of money. Be aware that certain car rentals aren't as competitive as others. 3. Destination: Plan your road trip in advance. If you want to go into Canada and don't feel like a return, you can always drop your car off and make it a one-way trip by choosing a train, plane or bus ticket home. Sometimes external drop off fees apply. 4. Pick a car: Typically it's nice to travel with extra room, especially if there are more than one or two people going on the trip. You want to be able to easily see out of your rear view mirror without any luggage in the backseat clouding your view. If you're going to encounter serious weather, a 4x4 is a good idea. 5. Insurance: It's worth it to pay a little extra for the insurance. Trust me. My father always refused, saying that it was a gimmick, until one day in a snow storm he backed a car rental into a dumpster and had to pay for all the insurance he hadn't accepted in the past. 6. Payment: A credit card is usually the best way to go. Remember to fill up the tank of your car with gas before you return it, since you can probably find a cheap gas station somewhere along your rural route. Have fun! Road trips are quintessentially American. No matter whether you're going, you're going to have a great time.
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